Circular loom



' Nov. 24, 1936. F. C. HALE ET AL 2,061,625

CIRCULAR LOOM Filed Jan. 4, 1935 llll ROBERT YEADON NVENTORs ATTORNEYS Patented Nove 24, 1936 UNE-TED STATES rarest ermee CIRCULAR LOOM Ware Application January 1l, 1935, Serial No. 340 lin Great Britain January 18, 1934 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the shedding mechanism of circular looms.

U. S. Patent No. 1,822,292 describes a circular loom in which the shedding is effected by means of a reed having eyed dents through which eyes some of the warp ends are threaded, the remaining warp ends passing between the dents. Above the level of the reed and slightly in advance of each shuttle are placed shedding wheels projecting beyond the line of the warps proceeding to the reed, the shedding wheels being arranged a1- ternately inside and outside the warp circle so that just in advance of each shuttle the warps are deflected either inwards or outwards. Those warps which pass through the eyes of the reed dents retain their normal path below the shuttle, while those warps which pass between the dents are enabled to move either inwards or outwards with respect to the other warps. In this way a shedding movement is initiated, so that the shuttle nose can pass between the two sheets into which the warps have been separated at the rear of each shuttle. The warps return to their normal line and are again shedded by the next shedding wheel in readiness for the entry of the succeeding shuttle.

For easy passage of the shuttles between the warp sheets, this arrangement necessitates a1- ternate shuttles being of somewhat diierent shape, those shuttles passing into a shed produced by deflecting some of the warps outwards being inclined outwardly with respect to the normal line of the warps and the remaining shuttles inwardly. In addition, the deflection imposed 35 upon the warps, and particularly those restrained by passage through the reed dents, tends to damage the warps. The present invention has for its object to overcome these diiiiculties.

According to the invention shedding is elected by movable warp-thread controlling healds, through the eyes of which the warp threads are passed, and a member having a surface which presses each heald in turn to propel the healds lengthwise so that the warp threads controlled thereby are moved out of their normal line, there being substantially no relative motion 4between the pressing surface and the healds at the points of engagement of the healds with the pressing surface.

A shedding wheel between which` and the healds there is relative circular motion about the loom axis may be provided to operate the healds, the wheel being disposed so as to press with its edge against an end of the healds and to be rotated thereby by reason of the relative motion, the rotation of the wheel bringing its edge against the end of each heald in turn to propel the healds. The substantial absence of relative motion between the ends of the healds and the edge of the wheel in engagement therewith reduces considerably tendency for sideways thrusting of the ends of the healds by the edge of the wheel as the ends of the healds contact therewith.

Conveniently, the healds are arranged in banks around the loom, shedding wheels being provided for each bank. In a loom employing a plurality of shuttles, shedding means are disposed around the loom in accordance with the number of shuttles. Thus, the healds may be arranged in two banks and may be disposed radially around the loom, a shedding wheel arranged inside the warp circle engaging the ends of one bank of healds to deflect those healds outwardly, while a similar shedding wheel arranged outside the warp circle engages the ends of the other bank of healds and delects those healds inwardly. With this arrangement shedding can take place in a precisely similar manner at each shuttle so that all the shuttles may be identical in shape. Since the shed is formed by both the inside and the outside sheets of warps being displaced from the normal line ci the warps, the warps are subjected to little strain.

It is not necessary for the movement applied by the shedding wheels to the healds to be sufcient to separate the warps into the fullest width of shed, since if the warps are separated to such an extent that the shuttle nose can enter, the shuttle will complete the shedding operation as it passes through the warps. In fact, it is desirable that the shedding wheels impart only a small amount of motion to the healds so as to reduce still further the tendency for sideways thrusting of the ends of the healds as they come into engagement with the wheels.

An important feature of the invention consists in additional means to avoid excessive side thrust. Such means consist of flexible bands, e. g. of spring steel, running round the heald banks, each in Contact with the inner and outer ends respectively of the healds of one bank, these bands being conveniently carried by grooves in the peripheries of the shedding wheels. Due to the interposition of the bands between the healds and the edges of the shedding wheels, radial movement of the healds actually commences before the healds have reached the shedding wheels, any tendency of the wheels to push the healds sideways being avoided since there is no direct contact between the wheels and the healds.

A form of apparatus according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of part of a circular loom of the type described in U. S. Patent No. 1,822,292, incorporating apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a part cross-sectional elevation viewed along line 2 2 of Figure 1; while Figure 3 is a part cross-sectional elevation viewed along line 3--3 of Figure 1.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, warp threads unwinding from a beam or other source of supply (not shown) and passing downwardly through a reed l to the fabric 5, are shedded into two sheets 6, "e at intervals around the loom for the reception of shuttles 8 which rest on the fell 9 of the fabric. For further particulars of the shuttles and the method of their operation referonce may be had to U. S. application S. No. 706,322 led 12th January, 1934.

The warp threads are shedded into the sheets 6, l7 by radially-disposed blade-like healds IIl which are arranged around the loom above the reed l in two banks A, B, the bank A being at a higher level than the bank B. The healds of the lower bank B are supported by the inner and outer rings Il of the reed Il (see Figures 2 and 3). The reed contains radial dents l2 extending between the rings II, the dents being spaced from each other by members I 3 which project upwardly and support two pairs of rings lli, I5 which encircle the loom and spring into notches formed in the sides of the members I3. 'I'he rings I4 are held just above the level of the upper edge of the healds of the bank B, and support the healds of the upper bank A. The rings l5 are held just above the level of the upper edge of the healds of the bank A. In this manner the healds ill of both banks A and B are free to move longitudinally but are prevented from moving laterally by the members i3, and upwardly by the rings Ill, I5.

Each heald It is formed with a central eye I6 through which a warp end is threaded. For simplicity of illustration alternate warp threads are shown as passing through the eyes of the healds in the same bank, the threads S passing through the eyes of the healds in bank B and the threads l passing through the eyes of the healds in bank A, this being the setting for the production of a plain-weave fabric, as will be apparent from the following description.

As shown clearly in the drawing, shedding of the warp threads into the sheets 6, l is effected by longitudinal displacement of the healds of the banks A, B in different directions, this occurring immediately in front of each shuttle 8 progressively round the loom.

In order to effect heald displacement, there are provided in association with each shuttle 8 a pair of shedding wheels Il, I8, each of which bears against the ends of the healds Ill of a diierent bank and pushes the healds towards or away from the axis of the loom. Figure 1 shows two pairs of such wheels, the pair Il, I3 being in association with the shuttle 8 while a similar pair, referred to for convenience as I9, 2S, are in association with the following shuttle, which is referred to as 8a.

The wheel ll' is disposed inside the warp circle in line with the healds of the lower bank B, while the wheel I8 is disposed outside the warp circle in line with the healds of the upper bank A and in the same radial line as the wheel il, Both wheels Il', I8 are positioned so as to protrude beyond the normal line ofthe ends of the healds il] in the unshedded position of the warp threads 6, 'I.

Relative rotation about the loom axis between the shedding wheels and the heald banks A. B causes the shedding wheels I'I, E8 to rotate and to bear progressively against the ends of the healds in the two banks, the healds of the bank A being pushed inwardly, while the healds of the bank B are pushed outwardly, thereby initiating a shedding or the warps as shown in Figure 3. 'Ihe shuttle 8 then enters between the divided warp sheets 6, l and pushes them apart to the desired width. Since the shedding wheels il, E8 rotate while pressing the ends of the healds, there is substantially no relative motion between the ends of the healds and the edges of the wheels in engagement therewith. In this manner the tendency for sideways thrusting of the ends of the healds by the edges of the shedding wheels is ecnsiderably reduced. The warp sheets ii, 'i' pass along the sides of the shuttle 3 and on reaching the rear thereof tend to regain their normal unshedded position.

In order to change-over the warp sheets l, 'l at the rear of the shuttle 8 in preparation for the reception of the next shuttle Ba, the shedding wheels I9, 2! bear against the heald banks A and B, respectively. The healds in the bank A are thus pushed outwardly while the healds in the bank B are pushed inwardly, both moving in the opposite direction to that of their movement under the influence of the shedding wheels Il, I 8.

A fresh warp shed is thus started for the reception of the shuttle 8a, as shown clearly in Figure 1. A similar change-over oi the warp sheets 6, l occurs in front of each shuttle progressively round the loom, the shedding wheels of each pair always bearing against the healds of different banks.

In order to reduce still further the tendency for side thrust on the ends of the healds I0 by the shedding wheels I1 20, endless flexible bands 2|, e. g. of spring steel or like material, are provided and t around the heald banks A, B in contact with the inside and outside ends of the healds. The bands 2| are carried by grooves 22 formed in the peripheries of the shedding wheels and prevent the shedding wheels coming into direct Contact with the ends of the healds I0. Any tendency for the shedding wheels to push the ends of the healds Ill sideways is thus avoided, and because of the interposition of the bands between the ends of the healds and the shedding wheels radial movement of the healds actually commences before the healds reach the shedding wheels, this effect being shown clearly in Figure 1.

With two banks of healds A and B, alternate shedding wheels of the inner series, (represented by the wheels Il, I9), carry the ilexible band 2| engaging the inner ends of the healds of one bank, and .alternate wheels of the outer series, (represented by the wheels I8, 2U), carry the flexible band 2! engaging the outer ends of the healds of that bank. The remaining inner and outer shedding wheels carry the flexible bands 2| engaging the inner and outer ends of the other bank of healds.

The inside shedding wheels I l, I9 are supported for free rotation by arms 23 which are adjustably secured in a ring Ztl forming part of a spider 25 outstanding from the central shaft 26 of the loom. The outside shedding wheels I8, 20 are similarly supported by arms 21, which are attached to a convenient part of the loom frame (not shown). The adjustability of the arms 23, 21 enables the depth of penetration of the shedding wheels I1 2|] into the heald banks, and consequently the initial opening of the warp sheds to be regulated.

In a circular loom in which the Warps 6, 'I are stationary While the shuttles 8 rotate, the reed 4 and heald banks A, B are stationary and the shedding wheels I1 20 rotate with the shuttles so as to effect progressive shedding. In this case the outside wheels I8, 2|] are secured to a part of the looml frame which rotates at the same rate as the spider 25.

While the invention has been described more particularly with reference to a loom having two banks of healds, it is to be understood that a greater number of heald banks may be incorporated, the shedding wheels being appropriately arranged in accordancewith the patterns to be Woven. For example, five banks of healds may be used for weaving 5-shaft satin, there being at each shuttle four Wheels propelling the healds` of four banks in one direction and one Wheel propelling the healds of the remaining bank in the other direction. Thus,` at each shuttle one warp in every ve is separated from the remainder, the rst Warps being separated at one shuttle, the fourth warps at the second, the second warps at the third, the fth Warps at the fourth, the third warps at the fth, and again the fir warps, and so on. Y

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. Circular loom shedding mechanism, comprising banks of closely-spaced, individually movable warp thread controlling healds, means for freely mounting and supporting said banks of healds with the healds disposed radially with respect to the loom axis, endless flexible bands contacting with the healds in each bank, and rotatable shedding wheels between which and said banks there is relative circular motion about the loom axis, said wheels being disposed inside and outside the Warp circle so as to press with their edges through said bands against healds in different selected banks to propel the healds of different banks lengthwise in opposite directions and to be rotated by said healds by reason of said relative motion, the rotation of the Wheels causing their edges to roll against the bands and to propel each heald in turn in each selected bank so that the warp threads controlled thereby are moved out of their normal line.

2. Circular loom shedding mechanism, comprising banks of closely-spaced, individually movable Warp thread controlling healds, means for freely mounting and supporting said banks of healds with the healds disposed radially with respect to the loom axis, endless ilexible metal bands contacting with the healds in each bank, and rotatable shedding wheels between which and said banks there is relative circular motion about the loom axis, said Wheels being -disposed inside an-d outside the Warp circle so as to press with their edges through said bands against healds in different selected banks to propel the healds of different banks lengthwise in opposite directions and to be rotated by said healds by reason of said relative motion, the rotation of the wheels causing their edges to roll against the bands and to propel each heald in turn in each selected bank so that the warp threads controlled thereby are moved out of their normal line.

FRANK CORBY'N HALE. ROBERT YEADON. 

